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British Films and Chat For movie polls, thoughts, and discussion.on British films and stars.


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Old 29-06-2007, 03:05 PM
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Default Greatest comedian never on film?
Gummo Marx was the eldest brother who had already left the act by the time the movies came along and is therefore possibly the international nominee for greatest comedian never captured on film but I was wondering who a British nominee might be? It would have to be someone working in the era of cinema who was an established comedian of great repute but who for various reasons known or unknown never or extremely rarely appeared in films. I know that Sid Field had a reputation for being the most popular stage comedian of his day, but his two film appearances give few hints as to why this might be. Max Miller made movies but for obvious reasons they never did his act justice. What other great comedians are there tragically lost to British cinema? I'd be fascinated to hear some nominees.

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Old 29-06-2007, 03:16 PM
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Now i am not saying he was the greatest or even near the top of the list but i remeber seeing Jimmy(Aye Aye thats your lot)Wheeler and he was funny and for his time rather blue.Very little of him seems to have survived according to IMB.You could probably say the sa,me about many British comedians particularly from the 50s
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Old 29-06-2007, 06:40 PM
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Surely, Ken Dodd. Apart from a blink and you'll miss him appearance as Yorrick in Kenneth Branagh's HAMLET I do not think he has made any cinema films at all.
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Old 29-06-2007, 06:52 PM
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I thought maybe Les Dawson but a peek at imdb shows he appeared in the lamentable Boys in Blue with Cannon & Ball. Haven't seen it for year so can't recall his role.
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Old 29-06-2007, 06:56 PM
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Surely, Ken Dodd. Apart from a blink and you'll miss him appearance as Yorrick in Kenneth Branagh's HAMLET I do not think he has made any cinema films at all.
Curiously Ken Dodd is listed on IMDB as '2nd ninja' in the 1984 epic 'Ninja Mission'.

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Old 29-06-2007, 07:33 PM
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There you go Batman,he's multi talented !
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Old 29-06-2007, 09:30 PM
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Ken in his latest epic 'Knotty Ash Ninja'.

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Old 29-06-2007, 09:50 PM
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multi talented and extremly 'wired'
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Old 30-06-2007, 12:36 PM
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Separated at birth
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Old 30-06-2007, 07:50 PM
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OK I'm back to make a suggestion of my own - Al Read, who is presently getting an airing on BBC7 - originally broadcast in the 1950s. Extremely funny observational comedy and catchphrases. Never appeared in any film or TV but hugely popular in variety and radio.
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Old 01-07-2007, 07:08 AM
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The late, great Bernard Manning!
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Old 01-07-2007, 08:46 AM
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Most influential?? Possibly a clown of the Music hall era called Marcelline...known for his work in panto, the eyewitness account of his act from the viewpoint of a small boy in the cast is all we have of him. The small boy watched him avidly, copied him and was inspired by him to go into comedy as opposed to straight theatre, where he had already dipped his toes; when eventually he wrote his autobiography, Marcelline warranted three pages; the other stars of the time, and his rivals throughout his career, barely get mentioned.
Marcelline, the man who gave us Charlie Chaplin.
Bit of a Bay Window, what??
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Old 01-07-2007, 09:05 AM
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I thought maybe Les Dawson but a peek at imdb shows he appeared in the lamentable Boys in Blue with Cannon & Ball. Haven't seen it for year so can't recall his role.
Dawson also took on a few straight/semi straight roles on tv but you could hardly call a tiny cameo in the Val Guest disaster a real part.
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Old 01-07-2007, 09:05 AM
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OK I'm back to make a suggestion of my own - Al Read, who is presently getting an airing on BBC7 - originally broadcast in the 1950s. Extremely funny observational comedy and catchphrases. Never appeared in any film or TV but hugely popular in variety and radio.
He did some tv but it didn't really suit him
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Old 01-07-2007, 09:31 AM
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Most influential?? Possibly a clown of the Music hall era called Marcelline...known for his work in panto, the eyewitness account of his act from the viewpoint of a small boy in the cast is all we have of him. The small boy watched him avidly, copied him and was inspired by him to go into comedy as opposed to straight theatre, where he had already dipped his toes; when eventually he wrote his autobiography, Marcelline warranted three pages; the other stars of the time, and his rivals throughout his career, barely get mentioned.
Marcelline, the man who gave us Charlie Chaplin.
Any comic who inspired Chaplin must have been extra special

I doubt Marcelline can be topped.
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